RespectED Campaign

RespectED

Our workplaces should be free from all forms of bullying, harassment and undermining. The Sustainable Working Practice Committee along with other RCEM committees are developing a campaign which aims to give you access to resources and solutions to help you tackle bullying and undermining. This behaviour undermines physical and mental health and can lead to reduced performance and increased sickness absence.

Bullying and harassment in the NHS is conservatively estimated to cost the taxpayer £2.281 billion per annum. We know from research by Professor Jan Illing and colleagues that bullied staff are less likely to work in effective teams, raise concerns or admit mistakes, but we also know this can have dire consequences for patient safety and care.

Emergency Medicine has its own set of challenges. See the EMJ Supplement April 2019: Bullying in the Emergency Department – stopping the vicious cycle.

If you are experiencing this type of behaviour – or know a colleague who is suffering, or think you may be bullying or undermining a colleague or patients, this page is for you. This type of behaviour can often be insidious, not always overtly disruptive but is corrosive. Seek help. Talk to somebody and do it now. You are your workplace culture. Below are some useful resources from RCEM and other organisations that are there to support you.

RCEM is working with partners from across healthcare professions to offer advice and other initiatives, such as the anti-bullying Alliance, aimed at developing practical solutions to address bullying in the medical workplace.

Please view the video below.